Sharing Grief, Shock on the WebMD Message Boards

Sept. 12 2001 -- From homes, from offices, people all over the world are speaking out through the WebMD message boards. How could this terrorist act in New York City and Washington, D.C., have happened? Who is responsible? What can I tell my children? What can I tell myself?

Kaylee146 in Canada: I can't begin to comprehend what has happened. I'm sitting here watching the television and it's like a bad movie. My question is how do we explain this to our children so they will feel safe to sleep tonight?

AnniePenny in Utah: I can't stand to think of how many [people] are dying right now and I can't do anything to help! I feel so useless ... I live so far away from N.Y.

Summer93 in Maine: I am with you at 3:00am unable to sleep ... shocked, scared, sad, disbelieving. Boyfriend in the guard and on his way to help. Who knows what else will come in the days ahead.

Message boards and chat rooms -- the very phenomenon of the Internet -- have indeed provided people with a new sense of community, a place for acceptance and support, says Martha Haun, PhD, associate professor of communications at the University of Houston.

"In times of crisis, you rely on the people closest to you to give you hugs, give you support," Haun tells WebMD. "It's the way we humans take care of ourselves. We call those we love, we need to hear their voices just to feel better, even if they are in no direct threat."

But the Internet gives people something they can't find anywhere else, she says. "The magnitude of this crisis is so great that people need more support nationwide, worldwide. People feel if this could happen to the U.S., it could happen in London, Paris, anywhere."

Specialized message boards provide people a sense of support they can't get from others in their immediate world, says Haun. "People who get involved in message boards are more introspective. Right now, they're having an existential crisis, a crisis of values. Why did God let this happen?"